'Operation Roca': The Government launched a military mega-operation on the northern border

In the context of the fight against drug trafficking, smuggling, and illegal immigration in sensitive areas of northern Argentina, the Government of Javier Milei, through the Ministry of National Defense, launched the plan called "Operation President Julio Argentino Roca," which involves the deployment of resources and military personnel in the North and Northeast regions of the country.

The operation has already begun and will continue until December 15 of this year. Its main focus will be the intervention of the Armed Forces in the so-called Border Security Zones, excluding authorized border crossings and urban centers, as established by Article 17 of Regulatory Decree No. 1112/2024.

This was decided by the Government of Milei through resolution 347/2025, published in this morning's edition of the Official Gazette. The document sets out the main guidelines of the operation, including: the formation of a Joint Command and the appointment of the officer in charge; the intervention of the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces and the organization of training tasks.

Briefly called "Operation Roca," this initiative is added to the current Plan Güemes, implemented since the previous year, and which had its second phase launched on Monday night during an event led by the Minister of Defense, Luis Petri; the Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich, and the governor of Salta, Gustavo Sáenz.

"We launched the new corridor covering Tartagal, Aguaray, and Salvador Mazza. This is a critical area of our border, and it was urgent to reinforce the State's presence with determination and without half measures," the provincial leader noted in a post on the X network.

The deployment is framed by the National Defense Law, which conceives national protection as "the integration and coordinated action of all the nation's forces to solve those conflicts that require the intervention of the Armed Forces."

This legislation is complemented by the provisions of the Internal Security Law No. 24.059 and Decree-Law No. 15.385/44, which allow collaboration between the armed and security forces in border areas in the face of threats to the life, freedom, and property of Argentine citizens.

"The police activity carried out by the National Gendarmerie and the Argentine Naval Prefecture in border security zones may, if necessary, be supported with personnel and resources from the then Ministries of War and Navy," the official resolution states.

According to the analysis of the Ministry of Defense, these areas constitute strategic points that require the State's priority attention, not only from a tactical standpoint but also as a concrete manifestation of an active and sovereign defense policy over the territory and its inhabitants.

In this new context, the Government of Milei seeks to change the current dynamics through a sustained and planned operation, supported by joint commands and governed by a legal framework specially designed for this mission. These regulations are part of the resolution and define both the operational execution and the role of the Armed Forces, which will be responsible for their own protection during the mission's development.

This means that military personnel will be authorized to respond to aggressions that endanger their physical integrity or affect the functioning of the strategic equipment and resources intended for national defense.

The measure also instructs the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces to carry out the operation according to the current military planning and to establish a Joint Command with a specifically designated commander to lead the tasks on the ground. Additionally, the chiefs of the general staff are tasked with coordinating operational training activities in the defined geographical areas.